EP1336872A2 - Lichtstärke-Regulierungselement, zugehöriges Herstellungsverfahren, Lichtstärke-Regulierungsvorrichtung und Photoapparat - Google Patents

Lichtstärke-Regulierungselement, zugehöriges Herstellungsverfahren, Lichtstärke-Regulierungsvorrichtung und Photoapparat Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP1336872A2
EP1336872A2 EP03003662A EP03003662A EP1336872A2 EP 1336872 A2 EP1336872 A2 EP 1336872A2 EP 03003662 A EP03003662 A EP 03003662A EP 03003662 A EP03003662 A EP 03003662A EP 1336872 A2 EP1336872 A2 EP 1336872A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
ink
light amount
amount adjustment
inks
base material
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP03003662A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP1336872A3 (de
EP1336872B1 (de
Inventor
Masataka Yashima
Ichiro Onuki
Takeshi Miyazaki
Akio Kashiwazaki
Eriko Namazue
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Canon Inc
Original Assignee
Canon Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Canon Inc filed Critical Canon Inc
Publication of EP1336872A2 publication Critical patent/EP1336872A2/de
Publication of EP1336872A3 publication Critical patent/EP1336872A3/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1336872B1 publication Critical patent/EP1336872B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B5/00—Optical elements other than lenses
    • G02B5/20—Filters
    • G02B5/205—Neutral density filters
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B5/00—Optical elements other than lenses
    • G02B5/20—Filters
    • G02B5/22—Absorbing filters

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a light amount adjustment member, for example, a dipping filter in a light amount adjustment device used in a photographing apparatus such as a camera, an optical instrument, or the like, and particularly to a production process of a light amount adjustment member suitable for use in the production of an ND filter whose spectral transmittance is substantially constant in a visible light region, a light amount adjustment member, and a light amount adjustment device and a photographing apparatus using the light amount adjustment member.
  • a diaphragm device Into an optical instrument such as a digital camera or video camera, a diaphragm device has heretofore been incorporated for the purpose of controlling the light quantity thereof. In this diaphragm device, it is generally conducted to control the light quantity using a diaphragm blade.
  • a neutral density filter hereinafter abbreviated as "ND filter”
  • ND filter neutral density filter
  • an ND filter that is a separate member from a diaphragm blade is bonded to a part of the diaphragm blade with an adhesive, whereby a diaphragm opening is retained at a certain size without stopping down the diaphragm diameter to a very small diameter when the luminance of a subject is high, and the ND filter is located on an optical axis instead to limit the quantity of light transmitted.
  • a filter having a gradient in the light amount adjustment function thereof hereinafter referred to as "density gradient"
  • density gradient a filter having a gradient in the light amount adjustment function thereof
  • ND filter as the light amount adjustment member in such light amount adjustment devices as described above, a metal film or dielectric film formed by vapor deposition or the like, or a multi-layer laminate thereof is generally used. This is attributable to the fact that these materials have good optical properties and excellent durability.
  • Other ND filters include those of the type that a dye or pigment capable of absorbing light is mixed and incorporated into glass, or cellulose acetate, PET or the like that is a material for forming a transparent film, and those of the type that a dye or pigment capable of absorbing light is applied to a transparent base material composed of the above-described material.
  • the light amount adjustment member having a density gradient is used as a light amount adjustment device for laser beam printers or the like even when its spectral transmission properties are not constant (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-14923).
  • the conventional production processes described above have involved such problems as described below.
  • the ND filter obtained by forming the film by vapor deposition involves such a problem that its product cost becomes expensive because the scale of a production apparatus thereof becomes large, and a production process is complicated.
  • ND filters of the type that the dye or pigment is incorporated into the material for forming the film or the like, and the type that the dye or pigment is applied to the surface of the base material it is very difficult to produce a filter having a density gradient though an ND filter having an even density can be produced.
  • a filter having a density gradient can also be produced.
  • such a process involves such a problem that light scattering is caused by silver particles remaining in the film, and so the optical properties thereof are deteriorated.
  • a light amount adjustment member produced by providing an ink-receiving layer on a transparent base material like the present invention and ejecting an ink having a light amount adjustment function by an ink-jet system on the ink-receiving layer to impart the function thereof, when such a member is produced by such a gradation recording system as conducted in general ink-jet recording, and, for example, such ink dots as illustrated in Fig. 2 are formed, the resulting member is affected by distribution of the quantity of light transmitted by the presence of the dots and diffraction at edge portions of the dots, so that unsharp may occur in an image formed in some cases.
  • Another object of the present invention is to provide cheap light amount adjustment devices and photographing apparatus equipped with the light amount adjustment member and having excellent optical properties by providing the simple production process of the light amount adjustment member.
  • a process for producing a light amount adjustment member which comprises the step of relatively scanning an ink-jet head, from which an ink is ejected on a transparent base material, on the surface of which an ink-receiving layer has been formed, to the transparent base material to apply the ink to the ink-receiving layer, thereby forming a light amount adjustment region, wherein in the step of forming the light amount adjustment region, the ink is ejected from the ink-jet head in such a manner that the ink is applied to the whole light amount adjustment region.
  • a process for producing a light amount adjustment member which comprises the step of ejecting plural kinds of inks different in light amount adjustment function from each other from an ink-jet head, from which the inks are ejected, on a transparent base material, on the surface of which an ink-receiving layer has been formed, while relatively scanning the ink-jet head to the transparent base material, to apply the inks to the ink-receiving layer, thereby forming a light amount adjustment region, wherein in the step of forming the light amount adjustment region, the light amount adjustment region is formed by changing at least one of the kinds and number of the inks ejected from the ink-jet head, application intervals (recording pitches) of the inks to the transparent base material and quantities of the inks ejected in such a manner that the light amount adjustment function has a gradient, a light transmittance when the ink having the smallest light amount adjustment function among the plural kinds of the
  • the above process means that when an ink is ejected from the ink-jet head to apply the ink to the transparent base material, thereby forming the light amount adjustment region, the ink is applied so as to satisfy the relationship, a 2 + b 2 ⁇ (r/2) 2 , wherein "a” denotes an interval (primary scan recording pitch) between positions for ejection in a first direction when the ink-jet head, from which the ink is ejected, and the transparent base material having the ink-receiving layer at the surface thereof are relatively scanned to apply the ink, "b” denotes an interval (secondary scan recording pitch) between positions for ejection in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and “r” denotes a dot diameter of each dot recorded.
  • a denotes an interval (primary scan recording pitch) between positions for ejection in a first direction when the ink-jet head, from which the ink is ejected, and the transparent base material having the ink
  • the primary scan direction means the first direction when the ink-jet head and the transparent base material are relatively scanned and generally indicates a direction perpendicular to a direction of a nozzle row when a multi-nozzle ink-jet head is used, and the secondary scan direction indicates the direction of the nozzle row.
  • the ink (hereinafter referred to merely as "ink") having the light amount adjustment function used in the present invention means an ink comprising a coloring material capable of absorbing light and containing various kinds of additives so as to satisfy ejection performance from the ink-jet head, as needed.
  • the ink is applied to the whole light amount adjustment region in the above-described manner, whereby portions where any ink is not present disappear as typically shown in Fig. 3, so that a light amount adjustment member free of the influence of the diffraction or the like at the edge portions of the ink dots, which have been the problem in the above-described prior art, and excellent in optical properties can be provided.
  • the step of forming the light amount adjustment region has a sub step of relatively scanning the ink-jet head plural times to a prescribed region of the transparent base material to form the light amount adjustment region, and a distance between plural ink dots recorded on the transparent base material by each scanning among plural times of the scanning be greater than each ink dot diameter.
  • a group of ink dots recorded by one scanning as the result that the ink is applied in the above-described manner do not overlap each other, and the dots are formed independently of each other. As a result, aggregation of the coloring material caused by overlapping of the ink dots applied can be prevented.
  • the light transmittance when an ink having the smallest light amount adjustment function among the plural kinds of the inks is used to record the whole light amount adjustment region is at least 50 %
  • the ink is applied to all light amount adjustment regions having a light transmittance lower than the above light transmittance, whereby portions at which boundaries between an ink dot and a transparent portion occur can be lessened as much as possible, and the density of the ink dots at the boundary portions becomes the density of the ink having the smallest light amount adjustment function as described above.
  • processes for forming a light amount adjustment region having a gradient light amount adjustment function on the transparent base material by keeping both recording pitch and quantity of an ink ejected from the ink-jet head at substantially constant include, for example, the following process.
  • One of minimum units (pixels) that can be recorded in such a state that both recording pitch and quantity of the ink ejected have been kept at substantially constant, or a plurality of units composed of a plurality of pixels that exhibit different light amount adjustment function levels from each other are formed, and the levels are used to conduct multi-valued processing, thereby recording the units on the ink-receiving layer.
  • a concentration of a coloring material of at least one ink used upon recording in each pixel making up the unit and the number of recorded dots thereof are preset.
  • processes for forming a light amount adjustment region having a gradient light amount adjustment function by keeping the quantity of an ink ejected at substantially constant and changing the recording pitch include a process in which a maximum recording pitch, at which an ink can be applied to the whole light amount adjustment region, is regarded as a maximum pitch, and the recording pitch is gradually reduced.
  • a maximum recording pitch at which an ink can be applied to the whole light amount adjustment region
  • the recording pitch is gradually reduced.
  • processes for forming a light amount adjustment region having a gradient light amount adjustment function by keeping the recording pitch at substantially constant and changing the quantity of an ink ejected include a process in which a quantity of the ink ejected, at which the ink can be applied to the whole light amount adjustment region, is regarded as a minimum ejection quantity, and the ejection quantity is gradually increased.
  • it is effective from the viewpoint of the maximum ink receiving quantity of the ink-receiving layer like the case described above to conduct recording by changing the ink used to an ink high in concentration of the coloring material and temporally reducing the ejection quantity.
  • a light amount adjustment member produced by one of the above-described production processes of a light amount adjustment member.
  • a light amount adjustment device which comprises the light amount adjustment member produced by one of the above-described production processes of a light amount adjustment member and a driving means for driving the light amount adjustment member, wherein a transmission quantity of a beam passing through a prescribed opening is controlled according to the driving quantity of the light amount adjustment member.
  • a photographing device which comprises any of the light amount adjustment devices described above, a photographing optical system for forming a subject image, an image pickup means for photoelectrically converting the subject image formed and a recording means for recording a signal photoelectrically converted, wherein the light amount adjustment device is arranged in the photographing optical system.
  • a photographing device in which control of light quantity is made by the light amount adjustment device upon the control of the light quantity upon photographing, the deterioration of resolving power by diffraction is lessened, and the uniformity of an unsharp image is worsened can thereby be provided.
  • Fig. 6 diagrammatically illustrates a spectral transmittance of the ND filter produced in EXAMPLE 2.
  • Fig. 7 diagrammatically illustrates an optical density distribution of the ND filter produced in
  • Figs. 8A and 8B illustrate a diaphragm blade of the light amount adjustment device produced in
  • Fig. 9 illustrates the construction of a photographing apparatus in which the light amount adjustment device produced in EXAMPLE 2 has been incorporated.
  • Fig. 10 illustrates an ND filter produced in
  • Fig. 11 illustrates a 16-pass mask used in EXAMPLE 4.
  • Fig. 12 is a copy of a photograph of ink dots formed by one scanning in EXAMPLE 4.
  • Fig. 13 diagrammatically illustrates a spectral transmittance of the ND filter produced in EXAMPLE 4.
  • Fig. 14 is an exemplary copy of a photograph of ink dots formed by one scanning in the conventional process.
  • Fig. 15 illustrates a 16-pass mask used in
  • Fig. 16 diagrammatically illustrates an optical density distribution of the ND filter produced in
  • a transparent base material used in the production process of a light amount adjustment member according to the present invention, on which an ink-receiving layer has been formed, will be first described.
  • the transparent base material usable in the present invention so far as it has necessary properties such as mechanical strength and optical properties in the case where it is provided as a light amount adjustment member.
  • transparent filmy base materials composed of polyethylene terephthalate, diacetate, triacetate, cellophane, celluloid, polycarbonate, polyimide, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polyacrylate, polyethylene, polypropylene or the like.
  • a glass base material may also be used so far as it satisfies the above-described necessary properties.
  • the light amount adjustment member In the production process of the light amount adjustment member according to the present invention, that having an ink-receiving layer formed on such a transparent base material as mentioned above is used. No particular limitation is imposed on the material for receiving an ink used in this case so far as it absorbs the ink, and a coloring material in the ink can be received in the layer and fixed thereto. However, such water-soluble resins and water-dispersing resins as described below are preferably used.
  • water-soluble resins may be mentioned synthetic resins, such as polyvinyl alcohol and modified product of polyvinyl alcohol, such as anionically modified polyvinyl alcohol, cationically modified polyvinyl alcohol and acetal-modified polyvinyl alcohol; hydrophilic polyurethane; polyvinyl pyrrolidone and modified products of polyvinylpyrrolidone, such as vinylpyrrolidone-vinyl acetate copolymers, vinylpyrrolidone-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate copolymers, quaternized vinylpyrrolidone-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate copolymers and vinylpyrrolidone-methacrylamidopropyltrimethylammonium chloride copolymers; cellulosic water-soluble resins such as carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose and hydroxypropyl cellulose, and modified products of cellulose, such as cationic hydroxye
  • the water-dispersing resins may be mentioned a large number of resins such as polyvinyl acetate, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, polystyrene, styrene-(meth)acrylic ester copolymers, (meth)acrylic ester polymers, vinyl acetate(meth)acrylic acid (ester) copolymers, poly(meth)acrylamide, (meth)acrylamide copolymers, styrene-isoprene copolymers, styrene-butadiene copolymers, styrene-propylene copolymers, poly(vinyl ether) and silicone-acrylic copolymers. It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited thereto.
  • a coating formulation obtained by containing alumina hydrate, amorphous silica or the like in such a resin as mentioned above is used to create pores (voids between fine particles of alumina hydrate or amorphous silica) in the resulting coating film, whereby an ink-receiving layer of the void-absorbed type that an ink is caused to be absorbed in such pores may also be provided.
  • various kinds of surfactants, crosslinking agents, dye sticking agents (waterproofing agents), antifoaming agents, antioxidants, viscosity modifiers, pH adjustors, mildew-proofing agents and plasticizers, and the like may be contained in the ink-receiving layer.
  • the formation of the ink-receiving layer is performed, for example, in the following manner.
  • a material such as the water-soluble resin or water-dispersing resin described above is first dissolved or dispersed in a liquid medium selected from water, alcohols, polyhydric alcohols and other proper organic solvents together with other additives as needed, thereby preparing a coating formulation.
  • the resultant coating formulation is then applied to the surface of the transparent base material by a coating process such as a roll coater, blade coater, air-knife coater, gate roll coater, bar coater, size press, spray coating, gravure coater, curtain coater or spin coating process.
  • the coating formulation thus applied is then dried by means of, for example, a hot air drying oven, heated drum, hot plate or the like to form an ink-receiving layer.
  • both ink-receiving layers of the swell type and void-absorbed type may be used.
  • the ink-receiving layer of the swell type is preferably used. The reason for it is that since the ink-receiving layer of the swell type is formed into a uniform structure as a whole unlike the ink-receiving layer of the void-absorbed type, it has such a feature that scattering at voids within the receptive layer is prevented, and so it is easy to achieve even and good optical properties.
  • an ink is ejected on the transparent base material having such an ink-receiving layer as described above while relatively scanning an ink-jet head to the transparent base material, thereby forming a light amount adjustment region.
  • the step of forming such a light amount adjustment region will hereinafter be described.
  • the inks used in the present invention can be ejected by an ink-jet head. Both water-based inks and oil-based inks may be used as the inks. However, the water-based inks may preferably be used from the viewpoint of ejection reliability from the ink-jet head.
  • a coloring material for imparting a light amount adjustment function to an ink may be used any of various kinds of dyes and pigments. However, various kinds of metals, inorganic fine particles, organic fine particles, etc. may also be used.
  • the coloring material in the present invention means a material that controls the transmittance of light within a prescribed wavelength band including visible light, ultraviolet light and infrared light.
  • the present invention is not limited thereto.
  • a light amount adjustment member used in, for example, a light amount adjustment device for infrared camera it is necessary to use a material transmitting only particular wavelengths in an infrared band. This material is also included in the coloring materials. Those in which absorption of light in controlling a quantity of light transmitted occurs in the interior of the material or at the surface of the material are also included in the coloring materials used in the present invention.
  • hydrophilic media may be used such various kinds of water-soluble organic solvents mentioned below.
  • alkyl alcohols having 1 to 5 carbon atoms such as methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, n-propyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, n-butyl alcohol, sec-butyl alcohol, tert-butyl alcohol, isobutyl alcohol and n-pentanol; amides such as dimethylformamide and dimethylacetamide; ketones and ketone alcohols such as acetone and diacetone alcohol; ethers such as tetrahydrofuran and dioxane; oxyethylene or oxypropylene copolymers such as diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, tripropylene glycol, polyethylene glycol and polypropylene
  • various kinds of surfactants, antifoaming agents, preservatives and the like may be added to the ink used in the present invention in addition to the above-described components as needed.
  • the ink composed of such materials as described above is applied on to the base material, on which the ink-receiving layer has been formed, by means of an ink-jet method to form a desired light amount adjustment region.
  • the ink-jet head of the piezo type is preferably used because it can change the ejection quantity with relative ease.
  • a commercially available ink-jet printer may also be used as an apparatus for applying the ink.
  • a printer driver a printer driver a printer driver a printer driver a printer coping with the ejection conditions of the present invention may preferably be used.
  • the ink-jet head a multi-nozzle ink-jet head having plural ink ejection orifices is preferably used from the viewpoints of making the best use of the features of the present invention and improving productivity thereof.
  • the present invention it is possible to suitably control the condition of an ink ejected from such an ink-jet head as described above to form a light amount adjustment region to which an even light amount adjustment function (even density) has been imparted, or form a light amount adjustment region to which a gradient varying a light amount adjustment function continuously or stepwise has been imparted.
  • a light amount adjustment member having a density gradient can be simply produced in the same process as in an even-density light amount adjustment member.
  • the production process according to the present invention is greatly different from the conventional case where a light amount adjustment member is produced by vapor deposition or the like and has an advantage from the viewpoint of production.
  • the ink-jet head When the ink-jet head is relatively scanned plural times to the transparent base material, on which such ink-receiving layer as described above has been formed, to eject an ink on the transparent base material to apply the ink to the ink-receiving layer, it is preferred that a group of ink dots recorded by one scanning do not overlap each other, and the ink dots are formed independently of each other. More specifically, when the scanning is performed plural times, the ink is applied by arranging such a mask (multi-pass recording mask) that a relative distance (interval between ink dots formed on the transparent base material in one scanning) between positions, to which the ink is applied in each scanning, is greater than a dot diameter of an ink dot formed. As a result, aggregation of the ink can be prevented.
  • a mask multi-pass recording mask
  • ink dots When plural kinds of inks are used to form ink dots, it is preferred that a group of ink dots recorded by one scanning in all the kinds of inks do not overlap each other, and the ink dots are formed independently of each other. Alternatively, it is preferred that when plural kinds of inks are used to form ink dots, a group of ink dots recorded by one scanning in each kind of ink do not overlap each other, and the ink dots are formed independently of each other. Moreover, different kinds of inks are preferably applied to the same position.
  • ink dots as to all the kinds of inks are formed so as not to overlap each other like the former.
  • the number of multi-pass for control thereof becomes more complicated and extensive as the kinds of the inks increase.
  • the investigation by the present inventor it has been confirmed that a sufficient effect is brought about even when plural kinds of inks are used, and all the kinds of inks are applied to the same position like the latter.
  • the inks are applied to the same position, so that the aggregation of the inks can be prevented compared with the conventional case even when the amount of the inks applied is increased.
  • the condition of the light amount adjustment region formed by ink(s) applied to the ink-receiving layer can be desirably changed by controlling, for example, the ejection quantity and ejection positions of the ink(s) ejected from the ink-jet head, the kinds of the ink(s) used at this time, and the number of ink dots.
  • the apparatus is preset in such a manner that an ink is applied to the whole light amount adjustment region when the ink is ejected in a reference ejection quantity and at a reference ejection pitch (ejection position interval) to eject at least one ink to each ejection position, whereby it is achieved to apply the ink to the whole light amount adjustment region.
  • an ND filter having a density gradient it is achieved by suitably controlling the kinds and number of inks ejected from the ink-jet head or the recording pitch and ejection quantity of the inks.
  • the ink may be dried by means of a hot air drying oven, heated drum, hot plate or the like as needed.
  • a crosslinking agent is mixed into the material capable of absorbing the ink, it is effective to conduct such a treatment that the coating is cured by heating or light.
  • a transparent flattening layer be additionally provided on the ink-receiving layer after the ink is applied on to the ink-receiving layer of the transparent base material in the above-described manner to form the light amount adjustment region.
  • This flattening layer is provided for the purpose of preventing light scattering at the surface or in the interior of the ink-receiving layer.
  • a material used in the formation of the flattening layer may preferably be used that little in difference in refractive index compared with such a material capable of receiving the ink as described above. When a difference in refractive index between these materials is great, a scattering component in the resulting light amount adjustment member is increased by the influence of reflection or the like on an interface between the ink-receiving layer and the flattening layer.
  • the material used in the flattening layer is selected from the materials mentioned above as those capable of receiving the ink.
  • a material that adhesiveness to ink-receiving layer is good, the mechanical strength, optical properties and the like when it is formed into a flattening layer satisfy necessary performance, and it can be laminated on the ink-receiving layer may be suitably used.
  • resins such as polyvinyl acetate, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, polystyrene, styrene-(meth)acrylic ester copolymers, (meth)acrylic ester polymers, vinyl acetate(meth)acrylic acid (ester) copolymers, poly(meth)acrylamide, (meth)acrylamide copolymers, styrene-isoprene copolymers, styrene-butadiene copolymers, styrene-propylene copolymers, poly(vinyl ether) and silicone-acrylic copolymers.
  • resins such as polyvinyl acetate, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, polystyrene, styrene-(meth)acrylic ester copolymers, (meth)acrylic ester polymers, vinyl acetate(meth)acrylic acid (ester) copolymers
  • the formation of the flattening layer may be performed by a process such as a roll coater, blade coater, air-knife coater, gate roll coater, bar coater, size press, spray coating, gravure coater, curtain coater or spin coating process.
  • the film is preferably dried by means of, for example, a hot air drying oven, heated drum, hot plate or the like to form the transparent flattening layer.
  • the ink-receiving layer is of the void-absorbed type that particles of alumina or the like are contained in the ink-receiving layer, and an ink is absorbed in voids between these particles as described above, a liquid material such as silicone oil or a fatty acid ester may be filled into these voids.
  • a liquid material such as silicone oil or a fatty acid ester may be filled into these voids.
  • the same transparent flattening layer as in such ordinary case as described above be further formed on such an ink-receiving layer to cover it for the purpose of preventing such filled liquid material as described above from flowing off.
  • an anti-reflection coating may also be additionally formed on the ink-receiving layer or transparent base material for the purpose of improving optical properties.
  • the anti-reflection coating formed at this time is required to have excellent anti-reflection properties in a visible light band and excellent barrier properties to water and harmful gasses.
  • a vapor deposition multi-layer film of inorganic materials with various kinds of functional films laminated on one another is suitably used.
  • the anti-reflection coatings described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 06-273601 by the present applicant may be used to prevent occurrence of stray light by surface reflection of the filter and moreover to shut off penetration of water and harmful gasses into the coloring material to prevent deterioration of the coloring material.
  • the anti-reflection coating composed of the above-described vapor deposition multi-layer film of the inorganic materials such a film of the structure formed of undercoat layers vapor-deposited on both surfaces of the light amount adjustment member and a repeated multi-layer film deposited thereon as described below is preferably used.
  • the undercoat layer is preferably a thin film having a film thickness d of 200 to 300 nm formed of a low-refractive index material having a refractive index n of 1.49 to 1.59 comprising, as a main component, silicon oxide SiO x (2 > x > 1) having good adhesiveness to the synthetic resin material forming the outermost layer of the light amount adjustment member and excellent chemical resistance and wear resistance.
  • the multi-layer film deposited on the undercoat layer is preferably formed by a thin film of a first layer composed of a high-refractive index material comprising, as a main component, titanium oxide TiO 2 , zirconium oxide ZrO 2 or a mixture thereof, a thin film of a second layer deposited thereon and formed of a low-refractive index material comprising, as a main component, silicon oxide SiO x (2 ⁇ x ⁇ 1), a thin film of the third layer deposited thereon and composed of a high-refractive index material comprising, as a main component, titanium oxide TiO 2 , zirconium oxide ZrO 2 or a mixture thereof, and a thin film of a forth layer deposited thereon and formed of a low-refractive index material comprising, as a main component, silicon oxide SiO x (2 ⁇ x ⁇ 1).
  • the liquid droplet volume and impact dot diameter of a coloring liquid applied by a liquid jet recording process be smaller because a difference in receptive layer thickness caused by a local difference in the quantity of the coloring liquid applied becomes small.
  • the coloring liquid is preferably applied in such a manner that the area of one dot of the coloring liquid formed by applying the coloring liquid on to the layer amounts to at most a twentieth of the area of the light amount adjustment region, preferably at most a fiftieth of the area. It is desirable that the light amount adjustment region be equivalent to or somewhat greater than the diameter of a beam to be controlled.
  • the diameter of the beam herein depends on optical specifications (focal length, F number, etc.) of an optical system of which the light amount adjustment device is applied. However, it is considered to be at most about 5 mm.
  • the surface roughness (Ra) of the resulting light amount adjustment region is preferably at most 5/1, more preferably at most 1/10 of the wavelength of light the light quantity of which is to be controlled.
  • a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film having a thickness of 100 ⁇ m was first provided as a transparent base material to form an ink-receiving layer thereon in accordance with the following process.
  • Polyvinyl alcohol Gohsenol GM-14L, trade name, product of The Nippon Synthetic Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.
  • the coating formulation thus obtained was applied on to the PET film as a transparent base material by means of a wire bar and then dried under a condition of 100 and 5 minutes in a hot air drying oven.
  • the thickness of the ink-receiving layer thus formed was 7 ⁇ m.
  • an ink having a light amount adjustment function used in this example was prepared in the following manner.
  • water-dispersing carbon black was used as a coloring material for imparting the light amount adjustment function to prepare two water-based inks of Black Inks 1 and 2, which were different in coloring material concentration from each other and composed of the compositions shown in Table 1, respectively.
  • An Ink-jet head (BC-50, trade name; manufactured by Canon Inc.; nozzle pitch: 1200 dpi; ejection quantity: 4.5 pl) of the thermal ink-jet type that an electrothermal converter is used as an energy-generating element was used to produce an ink-jet recording apparatus that the head can be scanned at a pitch of 1200 dpi in both primary and secondary directions.
  • the inks prepared above were charged into this recording apparatus to apply the inks on to the transparent base material, on which the ink-receiving layer had been formed, thereby forming a colored layer.
  • a 21.17- ⁇ m (1200 dpi) square was determined to be a pixel as illustrated in Fig. 4, and four pixels (2 X 2) in total were determined to be a unit.
  • One dot of Ink 1 containing the pigment at a concentration of 0.6 wt.% was applied to all positions of a, b, c and d of this unit, and one dot of Ink 2 containing the pigment at a concentration of 1.2 wt.% was additionally applied to the positions a and d making up the unit.
  • a dot diameter on the ink-receiving layer when each ink was ejected in an amount of 4.5 pl in this example was about 40 ⁇ m, and the inks were applied to the whole light amount adjustment region as illustrated in Fig. 4 (area factor was 100 %).
  • a transparent flattening layer was then additionally provided on the ink-receiving layer (colored layer), to which the inks had been applied, in the following manner.
  • a toluene/methyl ethyl ketone solution containing a styrene-butadiene copolymer (TR2000C, trade name, product of JSR K.K.) at a concentration of 10 parts in terms of solid content was prepared to provide a coating formulation.
  • This coating formulation was then applied on to the colored layer by means of a wire bar and dried under a condition of 100°C and 5 minutes in a hot air drying oven.
  • the thickness of the flattening layer thus formed was 5 ⁇ m.
  • the optical properties of the ND filter according to this example produced in the above-described manner were evaluated in the following manner. In order to judge the quality of the ND filter that is a component in a light amount adjustment device, the transmission properties of the ND filter itself were evaluated.
  • the ND filter produced in this example whose density distribution pattern was uniform and light transmittance was 32 %, was cut out into a size of about 5 cm ⁇ 5 cm and arranged in the front of a lens of a digital camera (Power Shot G1, trade name, manufactured by Canon Inc.) to take a photograph of an ISO standard resolving power chart for electronic still camera.
  • a digital camera Power Shot G1, trade name, manufactured by Canon Inc.
  • an aperture-priority AE by opening of a diaphragm was used in such a manner that a correct exposure is achieved irrespective of the presence of the ND filter.
  • a white-black bar chart (spatial frequency at an image surface: 14.5 line pairs/mm) was cut out of the image photographed to find a difference between a level at the white portion and a level at the black portion in the image. This difference was regarded as an evaluated contrast.
  • the ND filter was removed to conduct the same photographing work, thereby finding a difference between a level at the white portion and a level at the black portion in the image. This difference was regarded as a reference contrast.
  • the ratio of the evaluated contrast to the reference contrast was found from the values thus obtained, and this ratio was determined as filter contrast.
  • the acceptable lower limit value of the filter contrast varies according to uses of a photographing apparatus and a price region. However, it is generally known that the value is preferably at least 0.9 for photographing apparatus of the popularization class and at least 0.92 for photographing apparatus of the high class.
  • the filter contrast in this example was 0.94. From this fact, it was understood that the ND filter can be satisfactorily used.
  • the ND filter was produced in the same manner as in EXAMPLE 1 except for inks used in forming the light amount adjustment region by the ink-jet recording apparatus and a recording method thereof. This example will hereinafter be described attaching importance to respects different from EXAMPLE 1.
  • An ink-receiving layer was first formed on PET as a transparent base material by using polyvinyl alcohol as a forming material in the same manner as in EXAMPLE 1.
  • the step of applying inks to this ink-receiving layer was subsequent to this step.
  • the same recording apparatus as that used in EXAMPLE 1 was used, and both recording pitch and ink ejection quantity were kept at substantially constant.
  • a unit was also determined to be four pixels (2 ⁇ 2 pixels; 1200 dpi).
  • the inks used at this time were six Inks 1 to 6 respectively having different coloring material concentrations shown in Table 2. As shown in Table 2, a mixture of dyes was used as the coloring material in this example.
  • the dye mixture used was that obtained by mixing such four dyes as shown in Table 3 at a mixing ratio shown in Table 3 in order to achieve a substantially flat spectral transmittance in a visible light range.
  • Composition of ink used in EXAMPLE 2 (unit: wt.%) Ink 1 Ink 2 Ink 3 Ink 4 Ink 5 Ink 6 Coloring material: Dye mixture (see Table 3) 0.1 0.2 0.4 0.8 1.6 3.2 Ethylene glycol 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 Isoproply alcohol 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 Acethylenol EH 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Ion-exchanged water 86.9 86.8 86.6 86.2 85.4 83.8 Mixing ratio of coloring materials in ink used in EXAMPLE 2
  • Kind of dye Mixing ratio Black dye PJFBK2 7 Yellow dye Yellow 1G 2 Magenta dye PJFM2 9 Cyan dye PJFC2 12
  • the respective Inks 1 to 6 were applied to a PET film in accordance with the distributions of the units obtained from this result to form a light amount adjustment region (colored layer).
  • a transparent flattening layer 112 composed of the styrene-butadiene copolymer was additionally formed on the colored layer in the same manner as in EXAMPLE 1.
  • an anti-reflection coating was further formed on both surfaces of the light amount adjustment member (see Fig. 8B) to produce an ND filter having a concentration gradient.
  • As the anti-reflection coating 113 was formed an anti-reflection coating composed of a vapor-deposition multi-layer film of organic materials in the same manner as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 06-273601.
  • This anti-reflection coating is composed of a multi-layer film of an undercoat layer vapor-deposited on each surface and a multi-layer film deposited thereon, which is a repeated multi-layer film.
  • the undercoat layer is a thin film having a film thickness of about 300 nm formed of a low-refractive index material having a refractive index n of about 1.5 comprising, as a main component, silicon oxide SiO x (2 ⁇ x ⁇ 1) having good adhesiveness to the surface and excellent chemical resistance and wear resistance.
  • the multi-layer film laminated on the undercoat layer is formed of a thin film of a first layer composed of a high-refractive index material comprising, as a main component, a mixture of titanium oxide TiO 2 and zirconium oxide ZrO2, a thin film of a second layer deposited thereon and composed of a low-refractive index material comprising, as a main component, silicon oxide SiO x (2 ⁇ x ⁇ 1), a thin film of a third layer deposited thereon and composed of a high-refractive index material comprising, as a main component, a mixture of titanium oxide TiO 2 and zirconium oxide ZrO 2 , and a thin film of a forth layer deposited thereon and composed of a low-refractive index material comprising, as a main component, silicon oxide SiO x (2 ⁇ x ⁇ 1).
  • the optical properties of the ND filter according to this example thus produced were evaluated in the following manner.
  • an even-density portion having a light transmittance of about 32 % was prepared, and this portion was evaluated in the same manner as in EXAMPLE 1.
  • an even-density portion having a light transmittance of about 32 % of the ND filter produced in this example was cut out into a size of about 5 cm ⁇ 5 cm and arranged in the front of a lens of a digital camera (Power Shot G1, trade name, manufactured by Canon Inc.) to take a photograph of an ISO standard resolving power chart for electronic still camera.
  • an aperture-priority AE by opening of diaphragm like EXAMPLE 1 was used in such a manner that a correct exposure is achieved irrespective of the presence of the ND filter.
  • a white-black bar chart (spatial frequency at an image surface: 14.5 line pairs/mm) was cut out of the image photographed to find a difference between a level at the white portion and a level at the black portion in the image. This difference was regarded as an evaluated contrast. Reference contrast was found from a photographed image obtained upon removal of the ND filter, and filter contrast was found from these values.
  • the filter contrast in the ND filter obtained in this example was 0.97, and so good results were yielded.
  • the spectral transmittance of the ND filter in this example was illustrated in Fig. 6. As illustrated in Fig. 6, it substantially satisfied the allowable limit value and central value ⁇ 5 % though some transmittance fluctuation occurred. When transmission properties on the longer wavelengths are required, it can be achieved by using a near infrared-absorbing pigment or the like as a coloring material.
  • the state of the density gradient in the ND filter obtained in this example was determined by measuring the density at a pitch of 0.5 mm using a transmission densitometer (TR-310, trade name, manufactured by X-Rite) of an effective measuring diameter of 1 mm. The result thereof is shown in Fig. 7. As shown in Fig. 7, a smooth density gradient was confirmed though there was such a drawback that the measuring diameter was too great compared with the density change. It could be further confirmed that the ND filter obtained in this example shuts off the penetration of water and harmful gasses into the coloring material to prevent the deterioration of the coloring material.
  • Figs. 8A and 8B illustrate a diaphragm blade that is a member of the diaphragm device.
  • Fig. 8A is a top view of the diaphragm blade
  • Fig. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 8B-8B in Fig. 8A.
  • Reference numerical 101 indicates a diaphragm blade
  • reference numeral 110 denotes the ND filter incorporated into the diaphragm blade.
  • Reference character 101Q indicates a light interrupting member for interrupting light, and a portion indicated by 101P is a part for controlling a light quantity in the ND filter incorporated into the light interrupting member 101Q.
  • Fig. 1 illustrates a light amount adjustment device using the diaphragm blade.
  • Reference numeral 101 is the first diaphragm blade shown in Figs. 8A and 8B
  • reference numeral 102 is the second diaphragm blade.
  • Reference numeral 103 indicates a diaphragm blade-driving lever that is fitted on a shaft of a motor (not illustrated) at a hole 103a and turned on the hole 103a.
  • the first diaphragm blade 101 and second diaphragm blade 102 are engaged at respective slots with projected pins 104 provided at both ends of the diaphragm blade driving lever 103.
  • Reference numeral 105 indicates a guide pin for a bottom plate (not illustrated) that is relatively slideably engaged with respective grooves at side edges of the first and second diaphragm blades 101 and 102, and reference numeral 106 indicates an optical path hole provided through the bottom plate.
  • Fig. 1 illustrates a state that the diaphragm has been fully opened.
  • the optical path hole 106 that is an opening of the diaphragm is shut off by reduction of the opening areas of the first and second diaphragm blades and the portion 101P of the ND filter having a density gradient, so that the transmittance of a beam passing through the optical path 106 can be gradually reduced, and a sufficient extinguishing effect can be achieved without extremely reducing the opening area.
  • Fig. 9 illustrates an example where the diaphragm device shown in Fig. 1 has been arranged into an optical device.
  • the optical device is described taking a digital camera (photographing apparatus), in which a motion picture image or still picture image is photoelectrically converted into an electrical signal by a image pickup means, and this signal is stored as digital data, as an example.
  • Reference numeral 400 indicates a photographing optical system composed of a plurality of lens groups that is constructed by a first lens group 401, a second lens group 402, a third lens group 403 and the diaphragm device 100 illustrated in Fig. 1.
  • the first lens group 401 is a fixed front lens group
  • the second lens group 402 is a variator lens group
  • the third lens group 403 is a focusing lens group
  • reference numeral 404 indicates an optical low-pass filter.
  • An image pickup means 411 is arranged at a focal position (predetermined image-forming surface) in the photographing optical system 400.
  • a photoelectrically converting means such as a two-dimensional CCD composed of a plurality of photoelectric converter parts in which irradiation light energy is converted into electric charge, an electric charge-storing part that stores the electric charge and an electric charge-transferring part that the electric charge is transferred and sent to the outside.
  • the image pickup means 411 is driven by an image pickup means-driving circuit 433.
  • Reference numeral 421 indicates a display device such as a liquid crystal display, which displays a subject image taken by the image pickup means 411, and operation conditions of the optical apparatus.
  • Reference numeral 422 indicates a group of operation switches composed of a zooming switch, a photographing set up switch, a photographing start switch and a photographing condition switch that presets a shutter speed or the like.
  • Reference numeral 423 indicates an actuator by which focusing drive is conducted to control a focusing condition of the photographing optical system 400, and other members are driven.
  • CPU 431 calculates whether the degree of an average density taken in coincides with a numerical value corresponding to a correct exposure stored therein or not.
  • a diaphragm opening is changed according to an absolute value between the difference and an absolute character, or the electric charge storing time to the image pickup means 411 is changed.
  • the diaphragm is operated, the diaphragm blade-driving lever 103 is turned on the hole 103a by a diaphragm driving circuit 432, thereby vertically sliding the diaphragm blades 101 and 102. Thereby, the size of the optical path hole 106 that is an opening is changed.
  • the diaphragm opening area or electric charge storing time is changed in such a manner, whereby the correct exposure can be achieved.
  • the subject image formed at the correct exposure on the image pickup means 411 is converted into an electric signal as a charged quantity for every pixel according to the intensity of the brightness thereof and amplified in an amplifying circuit 441 and then subjected to processing such as prescribed ⁇ compensation in a camera signal processing circuit 442.
  • this processing may be conducted by digital signal processing after A/D conversion.
  • a video signal produced in such a manner is stored in a recorder 443.
  • the diaphragm device making use of the ND filter produced in this example was arranged in the optical apparatus of such construction as described above to form an image. As a result, a good image free of the influence of diffraction could be recorded.
  • such an ND filter as illustrated in Fig. 10 whose light transmittance varies from about 70% to about 5% stepwise, was produced.
  • a width of each step was about 0.76 mm.
  • the inks used in this example were inks of the same dyes (see Table 3) as those used in EXAMPLE 2 and the same compositions as the inks described in Table 2 except that the contents (coloring material concentrations) of the dye mixtures were changed to the coloring material concentrations shown in Table 5, and the changes by these coloring material concentrations were controlled by contents of ion-exchanged water.
  • This example was different from EXAMPLE 2 in the use of a commercially available OHP sheet as the transparent base material and ink-receiving layer, the method for forming the transparent flattening layer, and the method for applying the inks. This example will hereinafter be described attaching importance to these respects.
  • a commercially available OHP sheet (CF-301, trade name, product of Canon Inc.) was used as a transparent base material and an ink-receiving layer for the ND filter.
  • a transparent base material making up this OHP sheet was PET, and the ink-receiving layer was of the void-absorbed type using alumina hydrate.
  • the inks of the same dyes as those used in EXAMPLE 2 were applied to the ink-receiving layer by using an ink-jet head (BC-50, trade name; manufactured by Canon Inc.; nozzle pitch: 1200 dpi; ejection quantity: 4.5 pl) of the thermal ink-jet type that an electrothermal converter is used, and changing the primary scanning pitch of the head from about 31.0 ⁇ m to about 10.6 ⁇ m.
  • the secondary scanning pitch was fixed at 1200 dpi (about 21.2 ⁇ m).
  • the primary scan recording pitches in the respective optical densities and the coloring material concentrations in the inks used are shown in Table 5.
  • Primary scanning pitch and concentration of ink used Density step value (OD)
  • Coloring material concentration (wt.%) 0.15 31.0 0.7 0.30 15.4 0.7 0.50 28.0 2.3 0.75 18.6 2.3 1.00 14.0 2.3 1.30 10.6 2.3
  • the inks were dried under a condition of 90°C and 5 minutes in a hot air drying oven to facilitate the evaporation of water, solvents, etc. in the inks.
  • a transparent flattening layer was then formed.
  • silicone oil was first filled into the receptive layer of the void-absorbed type, and a transparent film composed of the same styrene-butadiene copolymer as that used in EXAMPLE 1 was then formed to provide the transparent flattening layer.
  • An ND filter of this example having density steps varied stepwise was produced in such a manner.
  • the optical properties of the ND filter of this example thus produced were evaluated.
  • an even-density portion having a light transmittance of about 32 % was prepared, and this portion was evaluated in the same manner as in EXAMPLE 1.
  • the filter contrast in this example was 0.94, and so good results were yielded.
  • the transparent base material and ink-receiving layer were produced in the same manner as in EXAMPLE 1
  • an ink having a light amount adjustment function used in this example was prepared.
  • the ink used in this example was an ink using the same dye mixture (see Table 3) as that used in EXAMPLE 2 and having the composition shown in Table 6.
  • Composition of ink used in EXAMPLE 4 Component Content (wt.%) Coloring material:
  • Dye mixture see Table 3) 0.85 Etylene glycol 5 Diethylene glycol 5 Isopropyl alcohol 2
  • Acethylenol EH 1 Ion-exchanged water 86.15
  • An ink-jet head (BC-50, trade name; manufactured by Canon Inc.; nozzle pitch: 1200 dpi; ejection quantity: 4.5 pl) of the thermal ink-jet type that an electrothermal converter is used as an energy-generating element was used to produce an ink-jet recording apparatus that the head can be scanned at a pitch of 1200 dpi (about 21.2 ⁇ m) in both primary and secondary directions.
  • the ink prepared above was charged into this recording apparatus to apply the ink on to the transparent base material, on which the ink-receiving layer had been formed, thereby forming a colored layer.
  • a 21.2- ⁇ m square was determined to be a pixel, and one dot of the ink having a dye concentration of 0.85 wt.% and a composition shown in Table 6 was applied to all pixels. At this time, the dot diameter on the ink-receiving layer was about 40 ⁇ m.
  • FIG. 11 illustrates a mask used when positions to which recording was conducted by one scanning of the ink-jet head in this example were selected.
  • a portion indicated by a solid line is a mask portion for forming one pixel region.
  • This mask size is a size of 4 X 4, and numerals in the drawing indicate the order recorded by the scanning.
  • such mask portions are arranged repeatedly to provide a mask as illustrated in Fig. 11. This mask was caused to corresponds to positions (pixels) actually recorded, and the ink was applied in this state.
  • FIG. 12 A copy image of a photograph of ink dots recorded by the first scanning was shown in Fig. 12. As shown in Fig. 12, it was confirmed that the respective dots are formed in an independent state without overlapping any other dot. A copy image of a photograph of ink dots recorded by the first scanning in the conventional process was shown in Fig. 14 for the sake of comparison.
  • a transparent flattening layer was provided on the receptive layer (colored layer), to which the ink had been applied, in the same manner as in EXAMPLE 1.
  • a spectral transmittance of the ND filter produced in this example was shown in Fig. 13.
  • the allowable limit value of the spectral transmittance when used in a photographing apparatus such as a camera is generally said to be central value ⁇ 5 % in the whole visible light range (400 to 700 nm). Therefore, the above results substantially satisfied the allowable limit value and central value ⁇ 5 % though some transmittance fluctuation occurred.
  • transmission properties on the longer wavelengths it can be achieved by using a near infrared-absorbing pigment or the like as a coloring material.
  • the ND filter was produced in substantially the same procedure as in EXAMPLE 4. This example will hereinafter be described attaching importance to respects different from EXAMPLE 4.
  • An ink-receiving layer composed of polyvinyl alcohol was first formed on PET as a transparent base material in the same manner as in EXAMPLE 4. Inks were then applied to this ink-receiving layer to form a light amount adjustment region (colored layer). At this time, the same recording apparatus as that used in EXAMPLE 4 was used, and four pixels (2 x 2 pixels; 1200 dpi) were determined to be a unit. This unit was recorded repeatedly, thereby controlling the coloring material quantity of each ink. However, the inks used were six inks respectively having different coloring material concentrations shown in Table 7. In this example, as with EXAMPLE 4, the same dye mixture (see Table 3) as that used in EXAMPLE 2 was used as a coloring material.
  • Composition of ink used in EXAMPLE 5 (unit: wt.%) Ink 1 Ink 2 Ink 3 Ink 4 Ink 5 Ink 6 Coloring material: Dye mixture (see Table 3) 0.1 0.2 0.4 0.8 1.6 3.2 Etylene glycol 5 5 5 5 5 5 Diethylene glycol 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 Isoproply alcohol 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 Acetylenol EH 1 1 1 1 1 1 Ion-exchanged water 86.9 86.8 86.6 86.2 85.4 83.8
  • the respective inks then came to be applied in accordance with the distributions of the units obtained from the result of the multi-valued processing.
  • a 16-pass mask that scanning is performed in such order as shown in Fig. 15 was used to apply the inks in such a manner that the same kinds of inks do not overlap each other in scanning a time.
  • the same mask was used as to all the six inks.
  • control was made in such a manner that recording is conducted at the same positions in the same scanning as to different kinds of inks.
  • a transparent flattening layer composed of the styrene-butadiene copolymer was formed in the same manner as in EXAMPLE 1 to produce the ND filter having a density gradient.
  • the optical properties of the ND filter according to this example thus produced were evaluated in the following manner.
  • an even-density portion having a light transmittance of about 32 % was prepared, and this portion was evaluated in the same manner as in EXAMPLE 1.
  • the filter contrast in this example was 0.97, and so very good results were yielded.
  • the spectral transmittance of the ND filter in this example also substantially satisfied the allowable limit value and central value ⁇ 5 % like the case of EXAMPLE 4 though some transmittance fluctuation occurred.
  • the state of the density gradient in the ND filter in this example was determined by measuring the density at a pitch of 0.5 mm using a transmission densitometer (TR-310, trade name, manufactured by X-Rite) of an effective measuring diameter of 1 mm. The result thereof is shown in Fig. 16. As shown in Fig. 16, a smooth density gradient was confirmed though there was such a drawback that the measuring diameter was too great compared with the density change.
  • TR-310 transmission densitometer
  • the ND filter obtained in this example was used to produce a diaphragm device that is a light amount adjustment device for video camera in the same manner as that produced in EXAMPLE 2.
  • a good image little in the influence of diffraction could be recorded when the diaphragm device making use of the ND filter produced in this example was arranged in an optical apparatus in the same manner as in EXAMPLE 2.
  • the production processes of the light amount adjustment member by which a light amount adjustment member excellent in optical properties can be cheaply produced with good yield by a very simple operation.
  • the production processes of the light amount adjustment member by which a light amount adjustment member having a density distribution varying continuously or stepwise that has been markedly difficult to achieve by other production methods, and excellent optical properties can be simply produced.
  • a production process of a light amount adjustment member by which a cheap light amount adjustment member having excellent optical properties can be simply produced is provided.
  • a light amount adjustment device and a photographing apparatus which are cheap, have excellent optical properties and are equipped with the light amount adjustment member are provided by providing the simple production process of the light amount adjustment member.
  • the production process comprises the step of relatively scanning an ink-jet head, from which an ink is ejected on a transparent base material, on the surface of which an ink-receiving layer has been formed, to the transparent base material to apply the ink to the ink-receiving layer, thereby forming a light amount adjustment region, wherein in the step of forming the light amount adjustment region, the ink is ejected from the ink-jet head in such a manner that the ink is applied to the whole light amount adjustment region.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Ink Jet Recording Methods And Recording Media Thereof (AREA)
  • Optical Elements Other Than Lenses (AREA)
  • Ink Jet (AREA)
EP03003662A 2002-02-19 2003-02-18 Lichtstärke-Regulierungselement, zugehöriges Herstellungsverfahren, Lichtstärke-Regulierungsvorrichtung und Photoapparat Expired - Lifetime EP1336872B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP2002041706 2002-02-19
JP2002041685 2002-02-19
JP2002041685 2002-02-19
JP2002041706 2002-02-19

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1336872A2 true EP1336872A2 (de) 2003-08-20
EP1336872A3 EP1336872A3 (de) 2005-02-16
EP1336872B1 EP1336872B1 (de) 2007-05-30

Family

ID=27624634

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP03003662A Expired - Lifetime EP1336872B1 (de) 2002-02-19 2003-02-18 Lichtstärke-Regulierungselement, zugehöriges Herstellungsverfahren, Lichtstärke-Regulierungsvorrichtung und Photoapparat

Country Status (4)

Country Link
US (1) US7901732B2 (de)
EP (1) EP1336872B1 (de)
CN (1) CN1278855C (de)
DE (1) DE60314026T2 (de)

Families Citing this family (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2006126234A (ja) * 2004-10-26 2006-05-18 Sony Corp 撮像装置、光量調整機構、光量制御羽根及び光量制御羽根の製造方法
JP2012018354A (ja) * 2010-07-09 2012-01-26 Panasonic Corp 減光装置および撮像装置
WO2013104430A1 (en) * 2012-01-15 2013-07-18 Barco N.V. Projection system and method of projecting multiple images
JP5980010B2 (ja) 2012-06-27 2016-08-31 キヤノン株式会社 駆動装置、レンズ鏡筒および撮像装置
JP6381205B2 (ja) 2013-12-19 2018-08-29 キヤノン株式会社 光学機器、撮像装置およびレンズ鏡筒
US9904146B2 (en) * 2015-10-29 2018-02-27 GM Global Technology Operations LLC Camera with positionable light shade
CN106772743A (zh) * 2017-02-21 2017-05-31 昆山海斯电子有限公司 具有可控可见光透光率的基片及其制备方法

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0828379A2 (de) * 1996-09-04 1998-03-11 Canon Information Systems, Inc. Halbtonrasterung mit gradientenbasierter Auswahl von Zittermatrizen
US5859955A (en) * 1997-01-21 1999-01-12 Xerox Corporation Stochastically clustered dot halftoning system
EP0976570A1 (de) * 1998-07-30 2000-02-02 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Vorrichtung und Verfahren zum Herstellen eines Farbfilters, sowie LCD der diesen Farbfilter anwendet
JP2000106649A (ja) * 1998-07-31 2000-04-11 Sony Corp 撮像装置
JP2000352736A (ja) * 1999-06-10 2000-12-19 Sony Corp 撮影レンズの絞り装置
US20010026307A1 (en) * 2000-02-21 2001-10-04 Makoto Akahira Color filter producing method and apparatus

Family Cites Families (18)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4602125A (en) * 1985-05-10 1986-07-22 The Bergquist Company Mounting pad with tubular projections for solid-state devices
US4810563A (en) * 1986-03-14 1989-03-07 The Bergquist Company Thermally conductive, electrically insulative laminate
JPH05107621A (ja) 1991-10-18 1993-04-30 Canon Inc 像振れ補正装置及び像振れ補正機能付カメラ
US5479298A (en) 1991-12-20 1995-12-26 Canon Denshi Kabushiki Kaisha ND filter and aperture device using the same
JPH05173004A (ja) 1991-12-20 1993-07-13 Canon Electron Inc Ｎｄフィルタの製造方法と絞り装置
US5353498A (en) * 1993-02-08 1994-10-11 General Electric Company Method for fabricating an integrated circuit module
JP3221764B2 (ja) 1993-03-18 2001-10-22 キヤノン株式会社 合成樹脂製光学部品の反射防止膜
US5725959A (en) 1993-03-18 1998-03-10 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Antireflection film for plastic optical element
US6046768A (en) 1994-06-15 2000-04-04 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Apparatus used for image blur prevention
US5527741A (en) * 1994-10-11 1996-06-18 Martin Marietta Corporation Fabrication and structures of circuit modules with flexible interconnect layers
US5736278A (en) * 1995-06-20 1998-04-07 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Color filter having light screening resin layer and filter resin layer
US5808874A (en) * 1996-05-02 1998-09-15 Tessera, Inc. Microelectronic connections with liquid conductive elements
US6084006A (en) * 1996-09-30 2000-07-04 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Color filter, liquid crystal using the same, manufacturing methods thereof, and ink for ink jet used in the manufacturing method
JP3018016B2 (ja) * 1996-10-01 2000-03-13 エイテックス株式会社 表示装置の製造方法
US5833903A (en) * 1996-12-10 1998-11-10 Great American Gumball Corporation Injection molding encapsulation for an electronic device directly onto a substrate
JP3627453B2 (ja) 1997-06-25 2005-03-09 富士ゼロックス株式会社 光学走査装置
US6103353A (en) * 1998-07-08 2000-08-15 Eastman Kodak Company Copy restrictive documents
US6614103B1 (en) * 2000-09-01 2003-09-02 General Electric Company Plastic packaging of LED arrays

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0828379A2 (de) * 1996-09-04 1998-03-11 Canon Information Systems, Inc. Halbtonrasterung mit gradientenbasierter Auswahl von Zittermatrizen
US5859955A (en) * 1997-01-21 1999-01-12 Xerox Corporation Stochastically clustered dot halftoning system
EP0976570A1 (de) * 1998-07-30 2000-02-02 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Vorrichtung und Verfahren zum Herstellen eines Farbfilters, sowie LCD der diesen Farbfilter anwendet
JP2000106649A (ja) * 1998-07-31 2000-04-11 Sony Corp 撮像装置
JP2000352736A (ja) * 1999-06-10 2000-12-19 Sony Corp 撮影レンズの絞り装置
US20010026307A1 (en) * 2000-02-21 2001-10-04 Makoto Akahira Color filter producing method and apparatus

Non-Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 2000, no. 07, 29 September 2000 (2000-09-29) -& JP 2000 106649 A (SONY CORP), 11 April 2000 (2000-04-11) *
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 2000, no. 15, 6 April 2001 (2001-04-06) -& JP 2000 352736 A (SONY CORP), 19 December 2000 (2000-12-19) *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CN1278855C (zh) 2006-10-11
CN1442290A (zh) 2003-09-17
EP1336872A3 (de) 2005-02-16
US20030174196A1 (en) 2003-09-18
DE60314026D1 (de) 2007-07-12
DE60314026T2 (de) 2008-01-31
EP1336872B1 (de) 2007-05-30
US7901732B2 (en) 2011-03-08

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US6866431B2 (en) Light amount adjustment apparatus, manufacturing method, and photographing apparatus
EP1336871B1 (de) Herstellungsverfahren für einen Verlaufsgraufilter, Blende mit Verlaufsgraufilter und photographischer Apparat mit dieser Blende
US7901732B2 (en) Production process of light amount adjustment member, light amount adjustment member, light amount adjustment device and photographing apparatus
US7070344B2 (en) Production process of light amount adjustment member, light amount adjustment device and photographing apparatus
JP4227459B2 (ja) 光学フィルタ、光学フィルタの製造方法、光量調節装置および光学機器
US7189014B2 (en) Production process of light amount-adjusting member, light amount-adjusting member, light amount-adjusting device and photographing apparatus
JP4227434B2 (ja) 光量調節部材の製造方法
JP2015231736A (ja) メタリック画像形成方法
JP2004101956A (ja) 光学フィルタ、光学フィルタの製造方法、光量調節装置及び撮影装置
JP4323893B2 (ja) 光量調節部材の製造方法、光量調節部材、光量調節装置及び撮影装置
JP4208598B2 (ja) 光量調節部材の製造方法、光量調節部材、光量調節装置及び撮影装置
JP2003240917A (ja) 光学フィルタ、光学フィルタの製造方法、光量調節装置、撮影装置及び微小液滴吐出装置
JP2005013877A (ja) 皮膜形成方法、光量調節部材の製造方法、光量調節部材、光量調節装置及び撮影装置
JP2003241253A (ja) 光量調節装置及び撮影装置
JP2005055682A (ja) 光量調節部材の製造方法、光量調節部材、光量調節装置及び撮影装置
JP2005055494A (ja) 光量調節部材、光量調節部材の製造方法、光量調節装置及び撮影装置
JP2004198654A (ja) 光量調節部材
JP2004354784A (ja) 光学フィルタ、光学フィルタの製造方法、光量調節装置及び撮影装置
JP2009300909A (ja) カラーフィルター用インク、カラーフィルター、画像表示装置、および、電子機器
JP2005055684A (ja) 光量調節部材の製造方法、光量調節部材、光量調節装置及び撮影装置
JP2003315870A (ja) 光量調節装置
JP2004354857A (ja) 光学フィルタとその製造方法、光量調節部材とその製造方法、光量調節装置及び及び撮影装置
JP2005055493A (ja) 光量調節部材の製造方法、光量調節装置及び撮影装置
JP2005055685A (ja) 光量調節部材、光量調節部材の製造方法、光量調節装置及び撮影装置
JP2005052752A (ja) 光量調節部材の製造方法、光量調節部材、光量調節装置及び撮影装置

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

AK Designated contracting states

Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE SI SK TR

AX Request for extension of the european patent

Extension state: AL LT LV MK RO

PUAL Search report despatched

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009013

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A3

Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE SI SK TR

AX Request for extension of the european patent

Extension state: AL LT LV MK RO

RIC1 Information provided on ipc code assigned before grant

Ipc: 7G 02B 5/20 B

Ipc: 7B 41M 7/00 B

Ipc: 7B 41M 3/00 B

Ipc: 7H 04N 1/405 A

Ipc: 7G 02B 5/22 B

17P Request for examination filed

Effective date: 20050812

AKX Designation fees paid

Designated state(s): DE FR GB IT

GRAP Despatch of communication of intention to grant a patent

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSNIGR1

GRAS Grant fee paid

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSNIGR3

GRAA (expected) grant

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009210

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: B1

Designated state(s): DE FR GB IT

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: GB

Ref legal event code: FG4D

REF Corresponds to:

Ref document number: 60314026

Country of ref document: DE

Date of ref document: 20070712

Kind code of ref document: P

PLBE No opposition filed within time limit

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009261

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: NO OPPOSITION FILED WITHIN TIME LIMIT

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: IT

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20070530

26N No opposition filed

Effective date: 20080303

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: FR

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20080125

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: DE

Payment date: 20150228

Year of fee payment: 13

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: GB

Payment date: 20150220

Year of fee payment: 13

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: DE

Ref legal event code: R119

Ref document number: 60314026

Country of ref document: DE

GBPC Gb: european patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 20160218

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: GB

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20160218

Ref country code: DE

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20160901